Diageo and Vita Coco team up to create canned cocktail line
“With Captain Morgan having the #1 selling spiced rum brand and Vita Coco as the #1 selling coconut water, this relationship brings together two category-leading brands,” say the companies.
Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan cocktails will be 5% ABV and sold in 12oz cans for a suggested retail price of $14.99 per 4-pack. Three flavors are due to hit shelves in early 2023.
Diageo expands RTD portfolio
Diageo’s spirits-based RTD portfolio covers extensions of key brands - such as Crown Royal Ready to Drink Cocktails, Tanqueray Crafted Gin Cocktails and Ketel One Botanical Vodka Spritz - as well as Loyal 9 Cocktails, a New England brand it acquired in 2021.
“Cocktail drinkers are looking for convenient ways to enjoy high quality classic tropical drinks, especially rum-based ones,” said Debra Crew, President, Diageo North America. “As we continue expanding our ready-to-drink portfolio, we consider ways to elevate the category, and it just made sense to marry together two premium brands that are loved by consumers around the world.”
In the US, rum-based cocktails are growing at 269%, according to Nielsen figures, with piña coladas, daiquiris, and mojitos leading as the most dynamic cocktail types and growing at a faster rate than the entire spirits-based RTD category.
“Consumers in tropical regions have been enjoying coconut water as a great-tasting, high quality mixer in their cocktails for generations,” said Mike Kirban, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, The Vita Coco Company. “Now that coconut water is becoming a household staple across the US, we wanted to make creating a delicious cocktail a few steps easier.”
Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan will launch with:
- Piña Colada – finished with the flavor of fresh ripe pineapple, creamy coconut and dark rum notes
- Strawberry Daiquiri – finished with the flavor of fresh picked strawberries, ripe juicy lime and fruity rum notes
- Lime Mojito – finished with the flavor of fresh muddled garden mint, ripe juicy lime, and a touch of simple syrup
The partnership follows several other collaborative moves by industry giants in the booming RTD space: such as Coca-Cola and Molson Coors on Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and Coca-Cola and Constellation Brands on Fresca Mixed.
